Information for patients

needing irradiated blood

Patient information

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Your medical team have requested that you should receive
irradiated blood. This information has been added to your
medical record at this hospital, but as an extra precaution you
should always show the attached card to the team responsible
for your care, particularly if attending a different hospital.

Always ask if the blood you are receiving is irradiated before it

is transfused.

What is irradiated blood and why is it needed?

Irradiated blood is blood that has been treated with radiation
(by x-rays or other forms of radioactivity) to prevent Transfusion-
Associated Graft-versus-Host Disease (TA-GvHD).

What is TA-GvHD?
TA-GvHD is a rare but serious complication of blood transfusion
caused by white blood cells called lymphocytes in the transfused
blood. Even a very small number of these cells may recognise the
patient receiving the blood as ‘different’ and cause a severe illness
or even death.

Which patients are at increased risk of TA-GvHD?

Some patients are at particular risk of TA-GvHD. These include:
• Patients receiving transfusions from family members, tissue type
matched donors or granulocyte (a type of white blood cell) donors
• Patients with an inherited immune system disorder
• Patients who have developed an immune system disorder,
such as Hodgkin’s disease; or due to treatment with certain drugs;
or because of a bone marrow/stem cell transplant
• Unborn babies and babies needing exchange transfusions.
For some patients the risk of TA-GvHD lasts only a short time.
For others the risks remain life-long, e.g. patients with an immune
system disorder and patients with Hodgkin’s disease. In some
situations, the period of risk is not known and hospitals may make
different recommendations for some groups of patients.

Your medical team will advise whether you, your child or relative
needs irradiated blood and for how long.

How does irradiation work?

Irradiation of blood prevents lymphocytes dividing and causing harm.

Is all blood routinely irradiated?

Red cell and platelet transfusions are not routinely irradiated and need
to be irradiated ‘on demand’ for patients at risk of TA-GvHD.

It is important that you remind your medical team of your need

for irradiated blood as they have to order it specially.

All granulocyte and tissue type matched transfusions are routinely

irradiated. Fresh frozen plasma and plasma products e.g. anti-D,
albumin and immunoglobulin do not contain lymphocytes or cause
TA-GvHD and therefore do not need to be irradiated.
Does irradiation damage the blood?
Irradiation does not cause any significant damage. The blood does not
become ‘radioactive’ and will not harm you or anyone around you.

What if blood
is needed in an
emergency?
Although irradiated blood is
recommended for you, if you
receive non-irradiated blood
the risk of TA-GvHD is very
small. In emergencies, there
may not be enough time to
arrange for irradiated blood to
be provided as it may be more
important to provide blood quickly. The medical team treating you
will judge the balance of these risks. If you have any further questions,
please ask the medical team treating you.

The page opposite has a peel off card

and stickers.
A healthcare professional should complete the details on the back
of the card and give it to you. Please remind them if they forget.
This card must be shown to a healthcare professional looking after
you before each transfusion.

The stickers can be attached to your medical notes to remind the staff
that you need irradiated blood.

Thank you to Tony for allowing us to photograph him during and after his blood transfusion.
 Bend sheet back across here to peel off card
I am at risk of
transfusion-associated
graft-versus-host disease
If I need to have a blood transfusion,
cellular blood components
(Red Cells, Platelets and Granulocytes)
MUST BE IRRADIATED
Please inform the blood transfusion laboratory

Please detach the above card, complete the details on the reverse and hand to the patient.
This card must be shown to the patient’s medical team before each transfusion.

This patient is
at risk of transfusion-associated
Please attach these stickers to the patient’s notes.

graft-versus-host disease
If this patient needs to have a blood transfusion,
cellular blood components
(Red Cells, Platelets and Granulocytes)
MUST BE IRRADIATED
Please inform the blood transfusion laboratory

This patient is
at risk of transfusion-associated
graft-versus-host disease
If this patient needs to have a blood transfusion,
cellular blood components
(Red Cells, Platelets and Granulocytes)
MUST BE IRRADIATED
Please inform the blood transfusion laboratory
Name
DoB __ /__ /__ Consultant
Hospital/NHS Number
Hospital for enquiries
Reason for irradiated blood

Irradiated blood needed indefinitely

or until __ /__ /__
Date of issue of card __ / __ / __
Additional Information
As a precautionary measure to reduce the risk of transmitting variant
Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), people who have received a
transfusion of blood or any blood component since 1980 are currently
unable to donate blood or blood components.
If you are interested in finding out more about blood transfusion please
ask your healthcare professional for a copy of our leaflet ‘Will I need a
blood transfusion?’.
You may also find the following websites useful:
NHS Choices:
www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Blood-transfusion/Pages/Introduction.aspx

NHS Blood and Transplant:

www.nhsbt.nhs.uk/what-we-do/blood-transfusion/

We would welcome your feedback and comments on this leaflet.

You can contact us in the following ways:
By post to:
Customer Services, NHS Blood and Transplant,
Part Academic Block – Level 2, John Radcliffe Hospital,
Headley Way, Headington, Oxford OX3 9BQ
By email to: nhsbt.customerservice@nhsbt.nhs.uk
Or by phone: 01865 381010
This leaflet was prepared by NHS Blood and Transplant in collaboration
with the National Blood Transfusion Committee. Further supplies can be
obtained by accessing https://hospital.nhsbtleaflets.co.uk
Individual copies of this leaflet can be obtained by calling 01865 381010.
NHS Blood and Transplant
NHS Blood and Transplant (NHSBT) saves and improves lives by providing a safe and
reliable supply of blood components, organs, stem cells, tissues and related services
to the NHS and other UK health services.
We manage the UK-wide voluntary donation system for blood, tissues, organs and
stem cells, and turn these donations into products that can be used safely to save
lives or radically improve the quality of people’s lives.
We rely on thousands of members of the public who voluntarily donate their blood,
organs, tissues and stem cells. Their generosity means each year we’re able to supply
around 2 million units of blood to hospitals in England and 7,500 organ and tissue
donations within the UK, which save or improve thousands more people’s lives.

For more information

Visit nhsbt.nhs.uk
Email enquiries@nhsbt.nhs.uk
Call 0300 123 23 23
INF28/4  Effective date: 01/06/2016 1516615  BLC608.2P